Gentle action agitator



March 14, 1961 A. H. GERHARDT GENTLE ACTION AGITATOR Original Filed March 8, 1956 rj j GENTLE ACTION AGITATOR Andrew H. Gerhardt, Herrin, Ill., assignor to 'Borg Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Original application Mar. 8, 1956, Ser. No. 570,335, now Patent No. 2,927,449, dated Mar. 8, 1960. Divided and this application Jan. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 7,506

4 Claims. (Cl. 68-4) This application is a division of application, Serial No. 570,335, filed March 8, 1956, and issued as U.S. Patent No. 2,927,449 on March 8, 1960.

rl`=his invention relates to washing machines and in particular to washing machine agitators of the type which create gentle or light agitation of fabrics during the washing cycle.

Agitators commonly in use in washing machines generally include a column or post member having a plurality of radially projecting blades or nsformed integral with or otherwise secured to the post. The agitator frequently is dared at the bottom and thus overlays a major portion of lthe bottom wall of the clothes receiving receptacle within which the agitator is disposed Agitators of the above general description are usually rotated about the longitudinal axis of the column or post, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, so as to create a considerable agitation or swirling motion when the agitator is surrounded by wash water and clothing. It is well known that in laundering synthetic fabrics it is advisable to Iavoid excessive agitation or excessive working. Conventional agitating devices of the above class frequently work'fthe Wash load excessively and to the extent that synthetic fabrics shrink, felt or mat rendering them useless as articles of clothing.

Accordingly, it is a particular object of the present invention to provide 'a gentle action agitator suitable for laundering synthetic fabrics.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gentle action agitator which may be mounted upon and driven by a conventional blade type agitator.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gentle action agitator which substantially encloses the agitator blades.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gentle action agitator which may be readily inserted or removed from the clothes receiving receptacle of a laundry machine without disturbing the existing agitator means.

A washing machine embodying certain principles of the present invention may include an oscill'atable agitator having a plurality of radially extending blades and a generally bell-shaped casing overlaying the agitator and formed with grooves, said grooves connecting mating blades so that up oscillation of the agitator the casing is also oscillated.

Other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the succeeding detailed description of specific embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the appended drawings i-n which:

Pig. l is a vertical section of a Washing machine with which the present invention may be associated and showing one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the gentle action agitator of Fig. l with portions ofthe agitator broken away to show the configuration of the interior grooves;

Patented Mar. Ml, i961 Fig. 4 shows a still further embodiment of the invention wherein the lower portion of the bell-shaped gentle action agitator is slotted permitting portions of the conventional agitator blade to project through the slots.

In the Fig. 1 embodiment of the invention there is shown a washing machine casing A, having a control panel B, a lhinged `access door C, a clothes receiving receptacle D and a transmission housing E substantially enclosing and forming the bottom wall of the receptacle.

The clothes receiving receptacle is supported by the transmission housing E by a depending sleeve not shown. Since the present invention is directed to agitator devices for a washing machine, it is deemed unnecessary to describe the laundry machine in detail except where necessary to show the function, operation and structural details of the gentle action agitator.

Referring now to Figs. l and 2, there is shown an agitator indicated `generally by the reference numeral l0 supported upon a shaft lll projecting upwardly from the transmission casing E. The agitator, formed with four radially projecting tins or blades l5, is keyed to the shaft ll in a suitable manner. The shaft and the agitator are formed with complementary, tapered, hexagonal sections as at 12 and a nut 13 threadedly engaging the shaft is operable to draw the agitator and the shaft together axially so as to make a snug tit along the respective hexagonal sections.

In a well known manner the shaft 1l is caused to rotate alternately about its longitudinal axis; rst in a clockwise and then in a counterclock-wise direction so as to cause the agitator lil to oscillate about its vertical axis.

As stated earlier, it is 'frequently desirable to reduce or minimize the work performed by the bladed agitator particularly when washing tine synthetic fabrics. Heretofore it has been the practice to operate the agitator at a reduced speed or to remove `the agitator and replace it with one Whose blade or En structure is less pronounced. Obviously, the provision of means for changing the speed of agitation is relatively expensive and involves either a two speed power means for the laundry machine or the introduction of a gear change device in the transmission; both involve an increase in cost. The alternative scheme of replacing the bladed agitator with one which creates less violent turbulence is disadvantageous wherein frequently the housewife is unable to remove the conventional agitator.

Recognizing these diiiiculties the present invention contemplates the provision of a casing or gentle action agitator indicated generally by the reference numeral 14 being positioned upon the conventional agitator lil and in a driving connection therewith. For example, in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. l and 2, a generally bell-shaped casing ld having ronr ribs or grooves 17 formed therein is shown positioned upon the agitator l0 so that the mouth 18 of the casing rests upon the conventional agitator as at 19.

It is to be noted that the grooves 17 make a driving connection with the blades l5 by virtue of the reception of the marginal regions 2l of the blades into the grooves. Obviously, the casing or gentle agitator lo, although making a driving connection with the conventional agitator,

is relatively loosely engaged therewith and may be re- Fig. 3 showns another embodiment of the gentle action agitator; and

moved or inserted at the whim of the housewife with a minimum expenditure of effort.

It is apparent that the gentle action agitator substantially encloses the bladed agitator and is formed with a Substantially smooth bell-shaped outer periphery. The grooves or ribs l? project slightly beyond the general periphery of the gentle action agitator as shown in Fig. 2. A groove projection of at least three-quarters of an inch provides sufficient depth to develop the necessary driving connection between the gentle action agitator y and the bladed agitator and has been found eifective in creating a gentle agitation.

It is apparent that oscillation of the gentle action agitator is effective to provide substantially reduced turbulence thus reducing the amount of work performed upon ne synthetic fabrics during a Washing cycle.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 3 the coaction between the bladed Aagitator and the ribs 17a is substantially the same as the structure shown in Fig. 1; however, the casing 16a does not fully enclose the conventional agitator. The driving connection is made by the engagement of the ribs 17a with the marginal reg-ions 21 of the lower portion of the blades 15.

lIn the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4 it is apparent that the lower portion of the bell-shaped gentle action agitator is slotted as at 25 to permit the marginal portions 21 of the conventional agitator to project therethrough. Obviously, the lower portion of the gentle action agitator according to the embodiment of Fig. 4 may be molded according to a variety of patterns to permit the marginal portions 2.1 to project to varying degrees as desired.

It is to be understood that a particular feature of the present invention resides in the cooperation between the conventional agitator and the gentle action agitations to produce a new and useful washing device.

It is anticipated that various arrangements and representations of the present invention may be undertaken without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a clothes washing machine, a receptacle adapted to contain wash Water and clothes; an agitator in said receptacle and oscillatable about a vertical axis, said agitator having spaced upper and lower sets of radially extending blades, the blades of the lower set being substantially larger than the blades of the upper set for creating a considerably greater agitation of the clothes and the water than the blades of the upper set; and means for substantially reducing the action of the agitator cornprising an imperforate annular casing detachably mounted on said agitator and completely enclosing the blades of the lower set, said casing being substantially smooth over its entire periphery and having hollow portions projecting outwardly thereof with marginal portions of the radially extending blades of the lower set being received within said hollow portions whereby the radially extending blades of the lower set are enclosed and the blades of the upper set are only exposed and cooperate with said casing portions for washing action, and a driving connection is made between the agitator and the casing.

2. ln a clothes washing machine, a receptacle adapted to contain wash water and clothes; an agitator in said receptacle and oscillatable about a Vertical axis, said agitator having upper and lower spaced sets of radially extending blades, the blades of the lower sets being substantially larger than the blades of the upper set for creating a considerably greater agitation of the clothes and the water than the bladesof the upper set; and means for substantially reducing the action of the agitator comprising an imperforate annular casing detachably mounted on said agitator and completely enclosing the blades of the lower set, said casing being substantially smooth over its entire periphery and having hollow ribs projecting outwardly thereof and defining grooves for receiving the marginal portions of the radially extending blades of the lower set whereby the radially extending blades of the lower set areenclosed and the blades of the upper set are only exposed and cooperate with the ribs for washing action, and a `driving connection is made between the agitator and the casing.

3. In a clothes washing machine, a receptacle adapted to contain wash water and clothes; an agitator in said receptacle and oscillatable about a vertical axis, said agitator having upper and lower spaced sets of radially extending blades, the blades of the lower set having curved marginal portions, said blades of the lower set being substantially larger than the blades of the upper set for creating a considerably greater agitation of the clothes and the water than the blades ofV the upper set; and means for substantially reducing thc action of the agitator comprising an imperforate annular casing detachably mounted on said agitator and completely enclosing the blades of the lower set, said casing being substantially smooth over its entire periphery and having hollow ribs projecting slightly outwardly thereof and defining interiorly located grooves conforming to and receiving the curved marginal portions of the radially extending blades of the lower set whereby the radially extending blades of the lower set are enclosed and the blades of the upper set are only exposed and cooperate with the ribs for washing action, and a driving connection is made between the agitator and the casing.

4. ln a clothes washing machine, a receptacle adapted to contain wash water and clothes; an agitator in said receptacle and oscillatable about a vertical axis, said agitator having upper and lower spaced sets of radially extending blades, the blades of the lower set being substantially larger than the blades of the upper set for creating a considerably greater Iagitation of the clothes and the water than the blades of the upper set, said agitator having a flaring base portion provided with said blades of said lower set; and means for substantially reducing the action of the agitator comprising an irnperforate annular casing detachably mounted on said agitator and completely enclosing the blades of the lower set, said casing being substantially smooth over its entire periphery and having its circular bottom edge engaging said tlaring base portion of said agitator, and having hollow ribs projecting slightly outwardly of the body of the casing and defining interiorly located grooves for receiving the marginal portions of the radially extending blades of the lower set whereby the radially extending blades of the lower set are enclosed and the blades of the upper set are only exposed and cooperate with the ribs for washing action, and a driving connection is made between the agitator `and the casing,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,745,177 Markley Jan 28, 1930 2,119,677 Labisky June 7, 1938 2,298,624 Labisky Oct. 13, '1942 2,927,449 Gerhardt Mar. 4, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 531,147 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1940 

